Tuesday, February 5, 2013

GLUTEN FREE BROWNIES

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past half a decade, you'll have noticed that gluten-free eating is on the rise. Now, I know there's a tonne of commentators out there who roll their eyes at the fact that non-coeliacs are cutting wheat from their diet. Some people go as far as saying that people are using gluten free eating as a mask for an eating disorder. I have two things to say to that: 1. Read Wheat Belly (or my summary of it) and 2. Eating gluten-free doesn't mean you're eating any less calories! Often, the opposite is true!

I am not a coeliac but I do notice my body turning on me when I include wheat in my diet. My stomach swells and aches, I get what is colloquially known as "carb face" and my eyes begin to itch with a vengeance! I know there's tonnes of others out there just like me, some of whom actually read this blog (which means a lot to me) and that's why I thought I'd bring you a really simple yet incredible gluten-free brownie recipe. This one's actually the brainchild of David Lebovitz aka one of the only names in baking you really need to know.

So, here it is. A gluten-Free brownie recipe that'll make you wonder why people ever added flour to brownies in the first place!

First up, roast your pecans if you're planning on including them in your mix. Just melt one tablespoon of butter in the microwave, mix in a bowl with the nuts then pop them into a 180ºC oven for 5-7 minutes. When you smell a delicious aroma float through the air, you'll know they're ready! Once cooled sufficiently, roughly chop them and leave aside.

Keep the oven on the same temperature and line the inside of an 8-inch (23 cm) square pan with foil so that it goes up the sides to the rim. Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Then you can prepare your brownie mixture. On a low heat, start by melting the 6 tbsp of butter first then adding the chocolate and stirring continuously until both are melted completely.

Once melted, transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar and the eggs, one at a time. Then add the cocoa and cornflour and mix thoroughly. You can now throw in the pecans if you are using them.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until the brownies feel just set in the centre. Don't overbake! Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tray before slicing.

Easy peasy, perfectly chewy brownies! Have you got any gluten-free dessert recipes for me? Bonus points if they're sugar free and low carb too - you are talking to a woman who needs to squeeze into a wedding dress later this year!

2 comments:

I love lindt chocolate– I am really going to have to make these. They look so so tasty. I made a batch of super healthy gluten free brownies and they turned out really well. Here is the link to the recipe http://bit.ly/12Zks7Y :) (opps forgot the link last time)